Evaluation and comparison of antibacterial and physicochemical properties of synthesized zinc oxide-nano particle-containing adhesive with commercial adhesive: An experimental study.

Introduction: Enamel surface demineralization is one of the most common issues occurring subsequent to orthodontic treatments. This study aims to synthesize a homogenous adhesive, containing zinc oxide nano particles for the purpose of evaluation of antibacterial and mechanical properties in bonding of orthodontic brackets.

Materials And Methods: Assessments were based on three groups: a control group (synthesized adhesive), ZnO group (synthesized adhesive containing 1.3% mass fraction of zinc oxide nano particles), and XT™ group (Transbond™ XT™, 3M™, USA). Biofilm formation inhibition test was utilized for the evaluation of antibacterial effects and physicochemical tests were further utilized for the assessment of shear bond strength (SBS), adhesive remnant index (ARI), microhardness, degree of conversion (DC), water sorption and water solubility.

Results: In terms of antibacterial properties, ZnO-containing adhesives demonstrated a significant difference compared to the control group (P=0.001). The addition of ZnO to the synthesized adhesive did not result in any significant difference compared to the control and XT™ groups in terms of shear bond strength (P=0.007).

Conclusions: Implementation of 1.3% mass fraction of zinc oxide nano particles in synthesized adhesive can add significant antibacterial characteristics and prevent biofilm formation without affecting the structural, mechanical, and chemical properties of the adhesive.